The Ultimatum: The Guardian, Book 1

Growing up, Bianca St. Ives knew she was different from all her friends. Instead of playing hopscotch or combing her dolls' hair, she studied martial arts with sensei masters and dismantled explosives with special-ops retirees. Her father prepped her well to carry on the family business. Now a striking beauty with fierce skills, the prodigy has surpassed the master.

Hidden Talents

Witt's End is in trouble. The small town of artists is at risk of disappearing from the map if Serenity Makepeace can't expand her small grocery store into a mail order enterprise to sell her neighbors' handcrafted goods. High-priced start-up advisor Caleb Ventress was intrigued by Serenity's impassioned letter. A small town grocer wasn't high profile enough for him, but her request earned her a meeting. And Calebs' attraction to her earned her a few more.

The Drowned Girls: An Angie Pallorino Novel, Book 1

Detective Angie Pallorino hasn't forgotten the violent rapist who left a distinctive calling card - crosses etched into the flesh of his victim's foreheads. When a comatose Jane Doe is found in a local cemetery, sexually assaulted, mutilated, and nearly drowned, Angie is struck by the eerie similarities to her earlier unsolved rapes. Could he be back?

Hold Your Breath: Search and Rescue Series, Book 1

As the captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive... even if keeping her safe may just kill him. Lou's new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she's determined to make it on her own terms...no matter how tempting Callum may be.

Dr. OB: St. Luke’s Docuseries Series, Book 1

It's just a docuseries about your career as an OB/GYN, they said. It won't interrupt your life during or after filming, they said. It's a great opportunity for the hospital and your practice, they said. Well, they - the television executives who seem intent on ruining my career and personal life with a fair number of creative liberties - lied. Now I'm stuck dealing with the consequences of believing them. Instead of being known as Dr. Will Cummings, head of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke's Hospital, I'm now being called Dr. Obscene.

Say You're Sorry: Morgan Dane, Book 1

After the devastating loss of her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane returns to Scarlet Falls, seeking the comfort of her hometown. Now, surrounded by family, she's finally found peace and a promising career opportunity - until her babysitter is killed and her neighbor asks her to defend his son, Nick, who stands accused of the murder.

Bombshell: Hollywood A-List, Book 1

Hollywood bad boy Brad Sinclair always gets his way, whether it's the role he wants or the bikini-clad model he has to have. But when a bombshell gets dropped in his lap in the form of a dimpled five-year-old from a forgotten relationship, he knows his life is about to change forever. Cara DuMont isn't exactly thrilled when she gets assigned to be the nanny for the latest box-office king. She has one rule: no celebrity fathers, especially single ones with devilish good looks and rock-hard abs.

Beyond Reason

Five weeks ago Carly Drake stood at her grandfather's grave. Now she's burying Drake Trucking's top driver, and the cops have no leads on the hijacking or murder. Faced with bankruptcy, phone threats, and the fear of failure, Carly has to team up with the last man she wants to owe - Lincoln Cain. Cain is magnetic, powerful, controlling - and hiding more than one secret. He promised Carly's granddad he'd protect her.

Until It Fades: A Novel

Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania (population 3,000 outside of tourist season). And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed date, Catherine saves a man's life. It isn't until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has rescued: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Seeing Red

Kerra Bailey is a television journalist on the rise, and she's hot on the trail of a story guaranteed to skyrocket her career to even greater heights: an interview with the legendary Major Trapper. Twenty-five years ago, the major emerged a hero from the bombing of the Pegasus Hotel in downtown Dallas when he was photographed leading a handful of survivors out of the collapsing building. The iconic picture transformed him into a beloved national icon, in constant demand for speeches and interviews - until he suddenly dropped out of the public eye.

Whispered Lies

Government secrets are being sold, and the newly sworn in president of the United States already feels out of options. Without knowing the full scope of the scandal, the president decides to turn to the one person he knows he can trust - former FBI agent Elizabeth James. Her deep distrust of the system is rooted in her unfair discharge from service. Now she sees a chance to restore her reputation and send a message to those who would use their power to destroy others' lives.

Something About You: FBI-US Attorney Series, Book 1

Staying overnight in a luxury hotel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde overhears a high-profile murder involving a U.S. senator. Special Agent Jack Pallas is assigned to the investigation - the same Jack Pallas who still blames her for nearly ruining his career three years ago. Now the pair will have to put their rocky past behind them, focus on the case at hand - and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension.

Run to Ground: Rocky Mountain K9 Unit Series, Book 1

Grieving the death of his partner, Theo Bosco has no room in his life for distractions. Though his instincts scream that he should avoid Juliet "Jules" Jackson, he can't seem to stay away. When Jules rescued her siblings, whisking them away to the safety of the beautifully rugged Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye - or the heart - of a cop. Yet as Jules struggles to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another threat lurks much closer to home. And this time, there's no escape.

Rescuing Rayne: Delta Force Heroes, Book 1

As a flight attendant, Rayne Jackson is used to cancellations, but she never dreamed her latest would lead to a whirlwind tour of London with a handsome stranger...or a life-altering night in his bed. One evening is all the enigmatic man can give her, and Rayne greedily takes it, despite suspecting it will never be enough.

You Will Pay

It starts as a prank - a way to blow off steam after a long summer at Camp Horseshoe. Among the teen counselors, tensions and hormones are running high. No wonder the others agree when Jo-Beth Chancellor suggests they scare Monica O'Neal a little.... or a lot. Monica has it coming, and no one will really get hurt. What could go wrong? Everything.

Toni R. says:"Waste of a credit. No mystery here, I figured it out before finishing first chapter."

Race Against Time: A Novel of Romantic Suspense

Growing up in the foster system, Quinn O'Meara made a point of never getting involved. But when she discovers a crying baby amid a fiery crime scene, she knows she has no choice. Suddenly in way over her head, Quinn turns to the police, unintentionally positioning herself in the crosshairs of a deadly human-trafficking ring.

Penmort Castle

Cash Fraser is planning revenge, and to get it he needs the perfect woman. So he hires her. Abigail Butler has lost nearly everything in her life and she's about to lose the home she loves. Cash meets Abby, who is posing as a paid escort, and the minute he does he knows he's willing to pay for more than Abby being his pretend girlfriend. A lot more. Abby needs the money or the last thing that links her to her dead family and husband will be gone. The deal is struck, but both Cash and Abby get more than they bargained for.

Claiming Grace

For Logan Anderson, moving on from a traumatic past means moving back to his hometown of Castle Rock, Colorado, to start a personal-security business with his brothers. But it's not long before Logan runs into Grace Mason, his best friend from high school...and the woman who never answered his letters during his Army years. Grace was pleasantly surprised to see Logan return to Castle Rock, despite their falling-out ten years ago. Everyone always assumed they would end up together, including Grace.

Do or Die: Reluctant Heroes, Book 1

Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs - or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the US government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his kids into casualties.

Red Apple Reader says:"Suzanne Brockmann hits another out of ballpark!"

Sworn to Silence: A Thriller

the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and "English" residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But 16 years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Duke of Manhattan

I was born into British aristocracy, but I've made my fortune in Manhattan. New York is now my kingdom. Back in Britain, my family is fighting over who's the next Duke of Fairfax. The rules say it's me - if I'm married. It's not a trade-off worth making. I could never limit myself to just one woman. Or so I thought until my world is turned upside down. Now, the only way I can save the empire I built is to inherit the title I've never wanted - so I need a wife. To take my mind off business I need a night that's all pleasure.

Publisher's Summary

In Tess Diamond's gripping debut, when an elite negotiator and a security expert team up to solve a kidnapping, the only thing higher than the tension is the heat.

Maggie Kincaid left the FBI two years ago and didn't look back, until now. A senator's daughter has been abducted, and the nightmare set in motion isn't just familiar to Maggie, it's personal. She'll need all the help she can get to bring Kayla Thebes home alive - even if that help comes from a hot-as-hell ex-soldier who plays by his own rules.

For Jake O'Connor, negotiation equals weakness. But he's immediately drawn to the sexy former agent who epitomizes strength. It isn't long before he and Maggie are working together 24/7, learning to read each other's signals and wanting much more.

But for Maggie and Jake, letting their guard down - even around each other - may be dangerous. Now, as they close in on a kidnapper with nothing to lose, their first mistake could shatter a young girl's last chance.

It starts good. The premise is interesting. Maggie is a kidnapping victim turned FBI negotiator. The ex-military security guy that's hotter than hot is getting in her way but the sparks are flying between them. And I was was a happy reader, thinking this book looked good. Then it just fell flat.

The first HUGE problem I had was the repeated head games Maggie fed herself. She had unresolved issues with how things played out when she was a child and the death of her sister during their kidnapping. She repeats the same thoughts over and over again. She can't do this. She has to do this. It's not going to work. It has to work. And while a little of that made sense, the constant use of it made me so much less sympathetic to Maggie. I just wanted to chuck the book when a new rant started in her head.

Then there was the relationship between Maggie and Jake. I think this is supposed to be romantic suspense. But the balance between these two was way off. It felt like the author was trying to prove that a female could be in charge but it went too far in the other direction. By this, I mean that Jake becomes unbelievable. He's a military guy yet he takes a back seat to Maggie almost immediately. There needs to be more push and pull between them. There needs to be successes on both sides. A relationship has to have a balance and this one is way too heavy on the female. And though I'm all for her being successful and being the brains behind this victory, Jake wasn't allowed to play his part. It felt fake and cause the characters to feel flat.

And then there is the suspense. A teenage diabetic has been kidnapped. A Senator's daughter. But the story lags and the whole diabetic aspect of it has me questioning the medical research done. The girl is without her medication and food for a very long time. It got to the point of feeling contrived. And as each aspect of the story blew up to an even more outrageous circumstance, I felt like we were playing the slow motion version of 24, the TV show, and not in a good way. And don't get me started on the ending. Contrived with a cherry of a cliffhanger on top is about the only way to explain it without spoiling it outright. And that cliffhanger is the very thing that has slowed this story down. I assume the next two books in the series will unravel that disturbing development but it will have to go forward without me. I have my guess as to the outcome and I can live with that.

I started this book liking it. I wanted to keep liking it. I tried to keep liking it. I lost the ability to keep liking it about the time I realized that Maggie was going to repeat the same internal speech to herself with every new development in the case. I decided I really didn't like it at all when I realized that these two characters had somehow fallen in love in a matter of a short few days. All that while they still weren't sure how to talk to each other. And the icing on the cake of my dislike came with the silencing bullet that cemented the cliffhanger. Yep, leaving it there.